Israeli forces storm Jenin-area villages, raid Palestinian homes

June 17, 2017 2:45 P.M. (Updated: June 19, 2017 7:36 P.M.)

(File)

JENIN (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces raided a number of Palestinian villages in the northern occupied West Bank district of Jenin on Friday evening, declaring the areas “closed military zones,” according to locals.

Local sources told Ma’an that sirens had sounded from Israel’s Salem military base near Jenin, before Israeli forces stormed the villages of Rummana, Zububa, and al-Taybeh in western Jenin and declared the areas “closed military zones.”

Israeli forces ransacked several Palestinian homes and questioned residents of the village on the streets, according to locals.

No detentions or clashes were reported.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an she would look into reports on the raids.

It was unclear if the military operations were connected to a deadly attack carried out in occupied East Jerusalem Friday evening by three Palestinians from the Ramallah area, as Israeli authorities implemented heightened security measures across the occupied West Bank following the incident.

Palestinian communities are routinely subjected to arbitrary road closures by Israeli military forces for purported "security reasons," an act which rights groups have denounced as amounting to collective punishment.